Bio-based binder systems

ABSTRACT

An environmentally friendly, bio-based binder system that is useful for the formation of fiberglass insulation, the system includes: A) an aqueous curable binder composition, which includes a carbohydrate and a crosslinking agent; and B) a dedust composition, which includes a blown, stripped plant-based oil and optionally at least one emulsifying agent. The bio-based binder system is typically heated to form a cured binder system.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of the U.S. Provisional PatentApplication, Ser. No. 61/490,695 filed 27 May 2011, entitled BIO-BASEDBINDER SYSTEMS, which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to rotary fiber insulation andmore particularly, to a bio-based binder system for use in manufacturingmineral fiber insulation (such as fiberglass insulation and stone woolinsulation) that preferably contain no added formaldehyde, and areenvironmentally friendly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional fibers are useful in a variety of applications includingreinforcements, textiles, and acoustical and thermal insulationmaterials. Although mineral fibers (e.g., glass fibers and fibers madefrom stone) are typically used in insulation products, depending on theparticular application, organic fibers such as polypropylene, polyester,and multi-component fibers may be used alone or in combination withmineral fibers in forming the insulation product.

Fibrous insulation is typically manufactured by fiberizing a moltencomposition of polymer, glass, or other mineral (e.g. stone) andspinning fine fibers from a fiberizing apparatus, such as a rotatingspinner. To form an insulation product, fibers produced by the rotatingspinner are drawn downwardly from the spinner towards a conveyor by ablower. As the fibers move downward, a binder material is sprayed ontothe fibers and the fibers are collected into a high loft, continuousblanket on the conveyor. The binder material gives the insulationproduct resiliency for recovery after packaging and provides stiffnessand handleability so that the insulation product can be handled andapplied as needed in the insulation cavities of buildings. The bindermaterial also provides protection to the fibers from interfilamentabrasion and promotes compatibility between the individual fibers.

During the formation of fiberglass insulation (or stone woolinsulation), dust can be liberated by the process. A dedust fluid isoften applied to the glass fibers during the process to reduce thisdust. Mineral-oil based fluids are often utilized as dedust fluids.

The blanket containing the binder-coated fibers is passed through acuring oven and the binder is cured to set the blanket to a desiredthickness. After the binder has cured, the fiber insulation may be cutinto lengths to form individual insulation products, and the insulationproducts may be packaged for shipping to customer locations. One typicalinsulation product produced is an insulation batt or blanket, which issuitable for use as wall insulation in residential dwellings or asinsulation in the attic and floor insulation cavities in buildings.

Formaldehyde-based resins have often been utilized as binding materialfor fiberglass insulation (and stone wool insulation). However, recentlyattempts have been made to reduce undesirable formaldehyde emissionsfrom formaldehyde-based resins. For example, various formaldehydescavengers such as ammonia and urea have been added to theformaldehyde-based resin in an attempt to reduce formaldehyde emissionfrom the insulation product. Because of its low cost, urea is addeddirectly to the uncured resin system to act as a formaldehyde scavenger.The addition of urea to the resin system produces urea-extendedphenol-formaldehyde resole resins. These resole resins can be furthertreated or applied as a coating or binder and then cured. Unfortunately,the urea-extended resoles are unstable, and because of this instability,the urea-extended resoles must be prepared on site. In addition, thebinder inventory must be carefully monitored to avoid processingproblems caused by undesired crystalline precipitates of dimer speciesthat may form during storage. Ammonia is not a particularly desirablealternative to urea as a formaldehyde scavenger because ammoniagenerates an unpleasant odor and may cause throat and nose irritation toworkers. Further, the use of a formaldehyde scavenger in general isundesirable due to its potential adverse affects to the properties ofthe insulation product, such as lower recovery and lower stiffness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventors have surprisingly discovered that a bio-based bindersystem comprising a aqueous curable binder composition together with adedust composition comprising a blown, stripped plant-based oil, whereinthe total sulfur content of the system is minimized will result in acured binder system that exhibits lower odor than a comparable bindersystem that has greater than 30 ppm sulfur, preferably a comparablebinder system that has greater than 20 ppm sulfur (for example, greaterthan 15 ppm sulfur). This will provide for the manufacture of fibrousinsulation product exhibiting an excellent low odor profile. This issurprising, since the sulfur content in typical binder systems utilizingformaldehyde-based binders with petroleum-based dedust oils or withplant-based dedust oils seems to have little effect on the odorproperties of fibrous insulation products (e.g. fibreglass insulationand stone wool insulation) made with such formaldehyde-based bindersystems.

In a first embodiment, the present invention provides a bio-based bindersystem useful for the formation of rotary fiber insulation (for examplefiberglass insulation), the system comprising:

A) an aqueous curable binder composition comprising:

-   -   (i) at least one carbohydrate, for example maltodextrin, having        a dextrose equivalent number from 2 to 20;    -   (ii) at least one crosslinking agent, for example citric acid ;        and

B) a dedust composition comprising:

-   -   (i) a blown, stripped plant-based oil having a viscosity of at        least 200 cSt at 40° C. (for example, at least 300 cSt at 40°        C.), a flash point of at least 293° C., and having an acid value        less than 5.0 mg KOH/gram,

wherein the bio-based binder system comprises 10 part per million sulfuror less based on the weight of components A) and B). excluding water.

In this first embodiment, the binder composition may also include acoupling agent, a moisture resistant agent, a catalyst, an inorganicacid or base, and/or an organic acid or base. In some preferred aspects,the binder system is free of added formaldehyde and is environmentallyfriendly. In exemplary embodiments, the crosslinking agent includes anymonomeric or polymeric polycarboxylic acid and/or their correspondingsalts.

In a second embodiment, the present invention provides a cured bindersystem resulting from heating the binder system of the first embodimentat a temperature and for a sufficient period of time sufficient to reactthe carbohydrate (i) with the crosslinking agent (ii) of the bindercomposition A). The binder may have a light color upon curing, isenvironmentally friendly, and is free of added formaldehyde.

In a third embodiment, the present invention provides a fibrousinsulation product comprising:

A) a plurality of randomly oriented fibers; and

B) a cured binder system applied to at least a portion of said fibers,the cured binder system comprising:

-   -   (i) a cured binder composition comprising a reaction product of        at least one carbohydrate (for example a maltodextrin having a        dextrose equivalent number from 2 to 20), and at least one        crosslinking agent(for example citric acid); and    -   (ii) the residue from a dedust composition comprising:        -   (a) a blown, stripped plant-based oil having a viscosity of            at least 200 cSt at 40° C. (for example, at least 250 cSt,            at least 300 eSt, at least 350 cSt, at least 400 cSt, at            least 450 cSt, or at least 500 cSt at 40° C.) and having an            acid value less than 5.0 mg KOH/gram,            wherein the fibrous insulation product comprises less than 1            parts per million sulfur based on the weight of the            fiberglass insulation product (for example less than 0.5            parts per million sulfur, less than 0.1 parts per million            sulfur).

In a fourth embodiment, the present invention provides an insulationproduct formed by the process comprising: forming a plurality ofrandomly oriented glass fibers; applying a binder system of the firstembodiment of the invention to the glass fibers to form a fibrousinsulation blanket; and heating the fibrous insulation blanket to forman insulation product.

In some aspects of the invention, the dedust oil composition comprises ablown, stripped plant-based oil manufactured from oils, such as, soybeanoil, canola oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, palm oil,peanut oil, safflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil, corn stillage oil(as further described below), and mixtures thereof.

Typically, the blown, stripped plant-based oil has a flash point of atleast 293° C., preferably at least 296° C., and more preferably at least304° C., and in some instances at least 320° C. And, typically, theblown, stripped plant-based oil has a viscosity at 40° C. of at least250 eSt (for example at least 300 cSt at 40° C., at least 350 eSt at 40°C.). and sometimes at least 400 eSt at 40° C., (for example at least 450cSt at 40° C., at least 500 cSt at 40° C.).

The stripping of the plant-based oil during manufacture of the blown,stripped plant-based oil reduces the content of free fatty acids andother volatiles. During the stripping process, the oil is also bodied.Typically, the final blown, stripped plant-based oil has a higherviscosity than the initial viscosity of the blown oil before stripping.The stripping also removes lower molecular weight acylglycerides andfree fatty acids and unexpectedly produces a blown, stripped plant-basedoil having a very high flash point, which minimizes the chances of flashfires and/or explosions in high flash point environments and will alsothermally degrade slower than petroleum based mineral oils having lowerflash points.

In some preferable aspects, the blown, stripped plant-based oilcomprises a high viscosity, low volatiles blown, stripped plant-basedoil blend. In these aspects, the oil used for the blend preferablycomprise corn stillage oil (as further described, below) and soybeanoil. Typically, the weight ratio of corn stillage oil to soybean oil isfrom 1:2 to 3:1, preferably from 1:1 to 3:1, more preferably from 1.8:1to 3:1, and more preferably from 1.8:1 to 2.5:1. The initial fatty acidcontent of the blend prior to blowing and stripping is from 4% to 9% byweight, preferably from 6% to 9%, more preferably from 8% to 9%, andmore preferably from 8% to 8.6%.

In some other aspects, the bio-based binder system further comprisesglycerol, polyglycerol, the reaction product of glycerol or polyglycerolwith citric acid, and mixtures thereof. Typically the glycerol,polyglycerol, and/or reaction product of glycerol or polyglycerol withcitric acid comprises from 0.1 percent by weight to 20 percent by weightof the bio-based binder system, for example, from 0.5 percent by weightto 10 percent by weight of the system, from 2 percent by weight to 7percent by weight of the system, based on the weight of the systemexcluding the weight of water. Typically, the glycerol and/orpolyglycerol utilized contain less than 500 ppm chloride ions. Incertain aspects, the glycerol and/or polyglycerol contain less than 300ppm, less than 200 ppm, less than 100 ppm, less than 70 ppm, or lessthan 50 ppm chloride ions. In some preferred aspects technical grade orUSP grade glycerol is utilized having less than 30 ppm chloride ions,and preferably less than 20 ppm chloride ions (for example, less than 10ppm chloride ions).

It is an advantage of the present invention that carbohydrates (e.g.,maltodextrin) are readily available and are low in cost.

It is another advantage of the present invention that insulationproducts utilizing the inventive binder system can be manufactured usingcurrent manufacturing lines, thereby saving time and money.

It is a further advantage of the present invention that the bindersystem does not require added formaldehyde.

It is also an advantage of the present invention that the finalinsulation product has a light color at low loss on ignition (LOI) thatallows the use of dyes, pigments, or other colorants to yield a varietyof colors for the insulation product.

It is a feature of the present invention that the binder composition canbe provided in an aqueous formulation that can be applied byconventional binder applicators, including spray applicators.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of theinvention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of thedetailed description that follows. It is to be expressly understood,however, that the drawings are for illustrative purposes and are not tobe construed as defining the limits of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration ofthe following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the formation of a facedinsulation product made with the inventive bio-based binder systemaccording to one exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a manufacturing line for producing afiberglass insulation product with the inventive bio-based binder systemwhere the insulation product does not contain a facing materialaccording to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which the invention belongs. Although any methods andmaterials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used inthe practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methodsand materials are described herein. All references cited herein,including published or corresponding U.S. or foreign patentapplications, issued U.S. or foreign patents, and any other references,are each incorporated by reference in their entireties, including alldata, tables, figures, and text presented in the cited references,unless indicated otherwise.

In the drawings, the thickness of the lines, layers, and regions may beexaggerated for clarity. It will be understood that when an element suchas a layer, region, substrate, or panel is referred to as being “on”another element, it can be directly on the other element or interveningelements may also be present. Also, when an element is referred to asbeing “adjacent” to another element, the element may be directlyadjacent to the other element or intervening elements may be present.The terms “top”, “bottom”, “side”, and the like are used herein for thepurpose of explanation only. Like numbers found throughout the figuresdenote like elements.

“Flash Point” or “Flash Point Temperature” is a measure of the minimumtemperature at which a material will initially flash with a brief flame.It is measured according to the method of ASTM D-92 using a ClevelandOpen Cup and is reported in degrees Celsius (° C.).

“Pour Point” or “Pour Point Temperature” is a measure of the lowesttemperature at which a fluid will flow. It is measured according to themethod of ASTM D-97 and is reported in degrees Celsius (° C.).

“Iodine Value” (IV) is defined as the number of grams of iodine thatwill react with 100 grams of material being measured. Iodine value is ameasure of the unsaturation (carbon-carbon double bonds andcarbon-carbon triple bonds) present in a material. Iodine Value isreported in units of grams iodine (I₂) per 100 grams material and isdetermined using the procedure of AOCS Cd Id-92.

“Hydroxyl number” (OH#) is a measure of the hydroxyl (—OH) groupspresent in a material. It is reported in units of mg KOH/gram materialand is measured according to the procedure of ASTM E1899-02.

“Acid Value” (AV) is a measure of the residual hydronium groups presentin a compound and is reported in units of mg KOH/gram material. The acidnumber is measured according to the method of AOCS Cd 3d-63.

“Gardner Color Value” is a visual measure of the color of a material. Itis determined according to the procedure of ASTM D1544, “Standard TestMethod for Color of Transparent Liquids (Gardner Color Scale)”. TheGardner Color scale ranges from colors of water-white to dark browndefined by a series of standards ranging from colorless to dark brown,against which the sample of interest is compared. Values range from 0for the lightest to 18 for the darkest. For the purposes of theinvention, the Gardner Color Value is measured on a sample of materialat a temperature of 25° C.

“Loss on ignition (LOI)” is a measure of the amount of combustiblematerial that is liberated from a cured fibrous insulation productsample, such as a cured fiberglass insulation , when placed in a muffleoven held at 1000° C. under one atmosphere of air for one hour. It isreported as the percentage of the weight lost by the material during theoven exposure (i.e. (the amount of weight loss from the material aftercomplete oven exposure divided by the starting weight of the material)×100).

“Sulfur” content is based upon the elemental sulfur and sulfurcontaining compounds in a material, but only the weight percent ofsulfur in such compounds is taken into account when determining the“sulfur” content.

The present invention relates to environmentally friendly, bio-basedbinder systems useful for the formation of fibrous insulation products(e.g. fiberglass insulation and stone wool insulation). The bio-basedbinder systems comprises both an aqueous curable binder composition anda dedust composition. The aqueous curable binder composition and dedustcomposition may be applied to the fibers to be bound (e.g. fiberglass)simultaneously using the same application method or separately.Typically, they are applied concurrently, with the dedust compositionbeing in the form of an emulsion (typically an oil-in-water emulstion)that is blended with the aqueous binder composition so that they can beapplied together.

The Aqueous Curable Binder Composition

The carbohydrate and crosslinking agent are typically dissolved in waterprior to being applied to the fibers (e.g. glass fibers). The waterdisperses (and/or dissolves) the active solids for application onto thereinforcement fibers. Water typically is added in an amount sufficientto dilute the aqueous binder composition to a viscosity that is suitablefor its application to the reinforcement fibers and to achieve a desiredsolids content on the fibers. In particular, the binder composition maycontain water in an amount from about 50% to about 98.0% by weight ofthe total solids in the binder composition.

The binder composition may be made by dissolving or dispersing thecrosslinking agent in water to form a mixture. Next, the carbohydratemay be mixed with the crosslinking agent in the mixture to form thebinder composition.

After the aqueous binder system is applied, it is heated to cause thecrosslinking agent and the carbohydrate to react with one another. Whenthe carbohydrate and the crosslinking agent are reacted together underheat the reaction that occurs is referred to as “curing” the bindercomposition. The resulting reaction product from the reaction of thecarbohydrate and the crosslinking agent is referred to as the “cured”binder composition. The resulting cured binder composition typically ismainly comprised of polyesters that result from the reaction of the acidgroups of the crosslinking agent with the alcohol groups of thecarbohydrate. The polyesters that are formed typically form crosslinkednetwork polymers that bind the fibers to one another. Since the reactionliberates water, the water is removed from the binder composition andthe fibrous insulation product to promote the complete curing of thebinder composition.

The range of components used in the binder composition according toembodiments of the invention is set forth in Table 1. As indicatedearlier, these solids are dissolved (and/or suspended (preferablydissolved)) in water to provide a binder composition that can readily beapplied to the fibers (e.g. glass fibers or stone wool fibers).

TABLE 1 % By Weight Component of Total Solids Carbohydrate 30-95Crosslinking Agent  1-40

The Carbohydrate

In some exemplary embodiments the aqueous curable binder compositionalso includes one or more of a coupling agent, a moisture resistantagent, a catalyst, an inorganic acid or base, and/or an organic acid orbase. In some aspects, the binder composition also includes glycerol,polyglycerol, the reaction product of glycerol or polyglycerol andcitric acid, or mixtures thereof, as described earlier. At low LOIs, thebinder typically has a light (e.g., white or tan) color after it hasbeen cured. When utilized in the manufacture of fiberglass insulation,this will result in a product that can be readily died or colored. Inaddition, in some preferred aspects, the binder system is free of addedformaldehyde.

In one or more exemplary embodiment, the binder composition includes atleast one carbohydrate that is from natural and renewable resources. Forinstance, the carbohydrate may be derived from plant sources such aslegumes, maize, corn, waxy corn, sugar cane, milo, white milo, potatoes,sweet potatoes, tapioca, rice, waxy rice, peas, sago, wheat, oat,barley, rye, amaranth, and/or cassava, as well as other plants that havea high starch content. The carbohydrate may also be derived from crudestarch or cellulose-containing products derived from plants that containresidues of proteins, polypeptides, lipids, and low molecular weightcarbohydrates. The carbohydrate may be selected from monosaccharides(e.g., xylose, glucose, and fructose), disaccharides (e.g., sucrose,maltose, and lactose), oligosaccharides (e.g., glucose syrup andfructose syrup), and polysaccharides and water-soluble polysaccharides(e.g., pectin, dextrin, maltodextrin, starch, modified starch, andstarch derivatives).

The carbohydrate may have a number average molecular weight from about1,000 to about 8,000. In some preferred aspects, the carbohydratecomprises a maltodextrin having a dextrose equivalent (DE) number from 2to 20, from 7 to 11, or from 9 to 14. The carbohydrates and crosslinkingagent beneficially result in an aqueous binder composition having a lowviscosity that reacts at moderate temperatures (e.g., 80-250° C.). Thelow viscosity enables the aqueous binder composition to be more readilyapplied to fibers utilizing conventional equipment. In exemplaryembodiments, the viscosity of the carbohydrate may be lower than 500 cpsat 25° C., when in a 50% aqueous solution. The use of a carbohydrate inthe aqueous curable binder composition is advantageous in thatcarbohydrates are readily available or easily obtainable and are low incost. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the carbohydrate is awater-soluble polysaccharide such as maltodextrin having a dextroseequivalent (DE) number from 2 to 20. The carbohydrate may be present inthe binder composition in an amount from about 30% to about 95% byweight of the total solids in the binder composition, from about 40% toabout 80% by weight, or from about 50% to about 70% by weight. As usedherein, % by weight indicates % by weight of the total solids in thebinder composition.

The Crosslinking Agent

As set forth above, the aqueous curable binder composition also containsa crosslinking agent. The crosslinking agent may be any compoundsuitable for reacting with the carbohydrate, preferably to form acrosslinked polymer network. In exemplary embodiments, the crosslinkingagent has a number average molecular weight greater than 90, from about90 to about 10,000, or from about 190 to about 4,000. In some exemplaryembodiments, the crosslinking agent has a number average molecularweight less than about 1000. Non-limiting examples of suitablecrosslinking agents include polycarboxylic acids (and salts thereof),anhydrides, monomeric and polymeric polycarboxylic acid with anhydride(i.e., mixed anhydrides), citric acid (and salts thereof, such asammonium citrate), 1,2,3,4-butane tetracarboxylic acid, adipic acid (andsalts thereof), polyacrylic acid (and salts thereof), and polyacrylicacid based resins such as QXRP 1734 and Acumer 9932, both commerciallyavailable from The Dow Chemical Company. In exemplary embodiments, thecrosslinking agent may be any monomeric or polymeric polycarboxylicacid, citric acid, and their corresponding salts. In some embodiments,the crosslinking agent preferably comprises citric acid. Thecrosslinking agent may be present in the aqueous curable bindercomposition in an amount up to about 40% by weight of solids in theaqueous curable binder composition. In exemplary embodiments, thecrosslinking agent may be present in the aqueous curable bindercomposition in an amount from about 5.0% to about 40% by weight of thetotal solids in the binder composition, from about 10% to about 40% byweight, or from about 20% to about 35% by weight.

Additional Optional Components of the Aqueous Curable Binder Composition

If necessary, the pH of the mixture may be adjusted to the desired pHlevel with organic and inorganic acids and bases.

The aqueous curable binder composition may also contain a couplingagent. Typically, the coupling agent comprises a silane. Table 2 setsforth the typical weight percent of the components of the bindercomposition when a silane couple agent is included.

TABLE 2 % By Weight Component of Total Solids Carbohydrate 30-95  SilaneCoupling Agent 1-40 Crosslinking Agent 1-40

Typically, the coupling agent is a silane coupling agent. The couplingagent(s) may be present in the aqueous curable binder composition in anamount typically from about 0.01% to about 5.0% by weight of the totalsolids in the binder composition, from about 0.01% to about 2.5% byweight, or from about 0.1% to about 0.5% by weight. Non-limitingexamples of silane coupling agents that may be used in the bindercomposition may be characterized by the functional groups alkyl, aryl,amino, epoxy, vinyl, methacryloxy, ureido, isocyanato, and mercapto. Inexemplary embodiments, the silane coupling agent(s) include silanescontaining one or more nitrogen atoms that have one or more functionalgroups such as amine (primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary),amino, imino, amido, imido, ureido, or isocyanato. Specific,non-limiting examples of suitable silane coupling agents include, butare not limited to, aminosilanes (e.g., 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilaneand 3-aminopropyl-trihydroxysilanc), epoxy trialkoxysilanes (e.g.,3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane and 3-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane),methyacryl trialkoxysilanes (e.g., 3-methaeryloxypropyltrimethoxysilaneand 3-methacryloxypropyltriethoxysilane), hydrocarbon trialkoxysilanes,amino trihydroxysilanes, epoxy trihydroxysilanes, methacryl trihydroxysilanes, and/or hydrocarbon trihydroxysilanes. In one or more exemplaryembodiment, the silane is an aminosilane, such asy-aminopropyltriethoxysilane.

Further exemplary coupling agents (including silane coupling agents)suitable for use in the binder composition are set forth below:

Acryl: 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane;3-acryloxypropyltriethoxysilane; 3-acryloxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane;3-acryloxypropylmethyldiethoxysilane; 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane; 3-methacryloxypropyltriethoxysilane

Amino: aminopropylmethyldimethoxysilane; aminopropyltriethoxysilane;aminopropyltrimethoxysilane/EtOH; aminopropyltrimethoxysilane;N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane;N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropylmethyldimethoxysilane;(2-aminoethyl)-(2-aminoethyl) 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane;N-phenylaminopropyltrimethoxysilane

Epoxy: 3-Glycidoxypropylmethyldiethoxysilane;3-glycidoxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane;3-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane;2-(3,4-eoxycyclohexyl)ethylmethyldimethoxysilane;2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethylmethyldiethoxysilane;2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane;2-(3,4-Epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltriethoxysilane

Mercapto: 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane;3-Mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane; 3-mercaptopropylmethyldimethoxysilane;3-Mercaptopropylmethyldiethoxysilane

Sulfide: bis[3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]-tetrasulfide;bis[3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]-disulfide

Vinyl: vinyltrimethoxysilane; vinyltriethoxysilane; vinyltris(2-methoxyethoxy)silane; vinyltrichlorosilane; trimethylvinylsilane

Alkyl: methyltrimethoxysilane; methyltriethoxysilane;dimethyldimethoxysilane; dimethyldiethoxysilane; tetramethoxysilane;tetraethoxysilane; ethyltriethoxysilane; n-propyltrimethoxysilane;n-propyltriethoxysilane; isobutyltrimethoxysilane;hexyltrimethoxysilane; hexyltriethoxysilane; octyitrimethoxysilane;decyltrimethoxysilane; decyltriethoxysilane; octyltriethoxysilane;tent-butyldimethylchlorosilane; cyclohexylmethyldimethoxysilane;dicylohexyldimethoxysilane; cyclohexylethyldimethoxysilane;t-butylmethyldimethoxysilane

Chloroalkyl: 3-chloropropyltriethoxysilane;3-chloropropyltrimethoxysilane; 3 -chloropropylmethyldimethoxysilane

Perfluoro: decafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)trimethoxysilane;((heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)trimethoxysilane

Phenyl: phenyltrimethoxysilane; phenyltriethoxysilane;diphenyldiethoxysilane; diphenyldimethoxysilane; diphenyldichlorosilane

Hydrolyzates of the silanes listed above

Zirconates: zirconium acetylacetonate; zirconium methacrylate

Titanates: tetra-methyl titanate; tetra-ethyl titanate; tetra-n-propyltitanate; tetra-isopropyl titanate; tetra-isobutyl titanate;tetra-sec-butyl titanate; tetra-tert-butyl titanate; mono n-butyl,trimethyl titanate; mono ethyl tricyclohexyl titanate; tetra-n-amyltitanate; tetra-n-hexyl titanate; tetra-cyclopentyl titanate;tetra-cyclohexyl titanate; tetra-n-decyl titanate; tetra n-dodecyltitanate; tetra(2-ethyl hexyl)titanate; tetra octylene glycol titanateester; tetrapropylene glycol titanate ester; tetra benzyl titanate;tetra-p-chloro benzyl titanate; tetra 2-chloroethyl titanate; tetra2-bromoethyl titanate; tetra 2-methoxyethyl titanate; tetra2-ethoxyethyl titanate.

If desired, a cure accelerator (i.e., catalyst) may optionally be addedto the aqueous curable binder composition. The catalyst is used toassist the reaction between the crosslinking agent and carbohydrate. Thecatalyst may include inorganic salts, Lewis acids (i.e., aluminumchloride or boron trifluoride), Bronsted acids (i.e., sulfuric acid,p-toluenesulfonic acid and boric acid) organometallic complexes (i.e.,lithium carboxylates, sodium carboxylates), and/or Lewis bases (i.e.,polyethyleneimine, diethylamine, or triethylamine). Additionally, thecatalyst may include an alkali metal salt of a phosphorous-containingorganic acid; in particular, alkali metal salts of phosphorus acid,hypophosphorus acid, or polyphosphoric acids. Examples of suchphosphorus catalysts include, but are not limited to, sodiumhypophosphite, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, disodiumpyrophosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate,sodium hexamethaphosphate, potassium phosphate, potassiumtripolyphosphate, sodium trimetaphosphate, sodium tetramethaphosphate,and mixtures thereof. In addition, the catalyst or cure accelerator maybe a fluoroborate compound such as fluoroboric acid, sodiumtetrafluoroborate, potassium tetrafluoroborate, calciumtetrafluoroborate, magnesium tetrafluoroborate, zinc tetrafluoroborate,ammonium tetrafluoroborate, and mixtures thereof. Further, the catalystmay be a mixture of phosphorus and fluoroborate compounds. Other sodiumsalts such as, sodium sulfate, sodium nitrate, sodium carbonate may alsoor alternatively be used as the catalyst/accelerator. Additionally,citric acid that has been partially neutralized with a Group I metalbase, such as sodium hydroxide, or which has been reacted with trisodiumcitrate may be utilized as a cure accelerator. The catalyst or cureaccelerator may be present in the binder composition in an amount fromabout 0% to about 10% by weight of the total solids in the bindercomposition, from about 1.0% to about 5.0% by weight, or from about 3.0%to about 5.0% by weight.

Table 3 provides typical weight ratios of the components of the aqueouscurable binder compositions when a silane coupling agent and a catalystare utilized. These components are all dissolved in water. Typically,the ratios of solids to water range from 1:100 to 50:100.

TABLE 3 % By Weight Component of Total Solids Carbohydrate 30-95  SilaneCoupling Agent 1-40 Crosslinking Agent 1-40 Catalyst/accelerator 1-10

The aqueous curable binder composition may also include organic and/orinorganic acids and bases in an amount sufficient to adjust the pH to adesired level. The pH may be adjusted depending on the intendedapplication, or to facilitate the compatibility of the ingredients ofthe binder composition. In exemplary embodiments, the pH adjuster isutilized to adjust the pH of the binder composition to an acidic pH.Examples of suitable acidic pH adjusters include inorganic acids suchas, but not limited to sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid and boric acid andalso organic acids like mono- or poly-carboxylic acids, such as, but notlimited to, citric acid, acetic acid, anhydrides thereof, and theircorresponding salts. Also, inorganic salts that can be acid precursorsmay be utilized. The acid adjusts the pH, and in some instances, asdiscussed above, acts as a crosslinking agent. The pH of the curablebinder typically ranges from about 1 to about 7, from about 2 to about5, or from about 2 to about 4. In at least one exemplary embodiment, thepH of the aqueous curable binder composition is from about 2.6 to about3.5.

Further, the aqueous curable binder composition may contain a moistureresistant agent, such as alum, aluminum sulfate, latex, a siliconemulsion, reactive silicone emulsion, a hydrophobic polymer emulsion(e.g., polyethylene emulsion or polyester emulsion), and mixturesthereof. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the latex is in the formof an aqueous latex emulsion. The latex emulsion includes latexparticles that are typically produced by emulsion polymerization. Inaddition to the latex particles, the latex emulsion may include water, astabilizer such as ammonia, and a surfactant. The moisture resistantagent may be present in the binder composition in an amount from about0% to about 20% by weight of the total solids in the binder composition,from about 5.0% to about 10% by weight, or from about 5.0% to about 7.0%by weight.

The aqueous curable binder composition may optionally containconventional additives such as, but not limited to corrosion inhibitors,dyes, pigments, fillers, colorants, UV stabilizers, thermal stabilizers,anti-foaming agents, anti-oxidants, emulsifiers, preservatives (e.g.,sodium benzoate), biocides, fungicides, and mixtures thereof. Otheradditives may be added to the aqueous curable binder composition for theimprovement of process and product performance. Such additives includelubricants, wetting agents, surfactants, antistatic agents, and/or waterrepellent agents. Additives may be present in the binder compositionfrom trace amounts (such as <about 0.1% by weight the bindercomposition) up to about 10.0% by weight of the total solids in theaqueous curable binder composition. In some exemplary embodiments, theadditives are present in an amount from about 0.1% to about 5.0% byweight of the total solids in the aqueous curable binder composition,from about 1.0% to about 4.0% by weight, or from about 1.5% to about3.0% by weight.

Dedust Composition

The dedust composition is applied to the fibers to reduce the amount ofdust that is generated during the manufacture of the fibrous insulationproduct.

The dedust composition comprises a blown, stripped plant-based oil. Thededust composition may be applied as a neat blown, stripped plant-basedoil to the fibers or the dedust composition may be applied in the formof an oil in water emulsion comprising the blown, stripped plant-basedoil. The dedust composition typically is applied concurrently to thefibers with the aqueous curable binder composition.

If the dedust composition is in the form of an oil in water emulsion,then preferably at least one emulsifying component is utilized to formthe oil in water emulsion. The emulsion typically is typically formed byvigorously agitating the water and the oil in the presence of the atleast one emulsifying component. Examples of apparatus that can beutilized to effectively used to form the oil in water emulsion includehigh shear mechanical devices/mixers, ultrasonic devices, and otherequipment/devices known to those of skill in the art for use in formingoil in water emulsions. The weight ratio of the at least one emulsifyingcomponents to blown, stripped plan-based oil is from 1:200 to 15:100,for example from 1:200 to 5:100, from 1:200 to 3:100 by weight.

Typically, excluding the weight of any water present in the dedustcomposition, the dedust composition is present in a cured fiberglassinsulation product of the invention at a weight percent of from about0.1 to about 5% by weight of glass present (for example, from about 0.5to about 4.0%, or from about 0.5% to about 3.0% by weight (and in someinstances from 0.6% to 1.5% by weight) of the glass present). Excludingthe weight of water, the weight ratio of the dedust composition to thesolids of the aqueous curable binder composition is from about 1/100 to34/100, for example from about 6/100 to 13/100, from about 4/100 to10/100.

In one aspect the at least one emulsifying component comprises a singleemulsifier that is utilized to form the emulsion. In this aspect, theemulsifier typically is mixed into the blown, stripped plant-based oilbefore water is introduced to form the emulsion. Examples of emulsifiersthat can be utilized include, for example, ionic emulsifiers, non-ionicemulsifiers and mixtures thereof. To minimize competing reactionsbetween the emulsifier and the components of the aqueous curable bindercomposition, non-ionic emulsifiers preferably are utilized. Examples ofnon-ionic emulsifiers include: alkoxylated alcohols and alkoxylatedfatty acids. Examples of ionic emulsifiers include amine-basedemulsifiers (i.e. primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternaryamine-based emulsifiers). Preferably ethoxylated alcohols andethoxylated fatty acids are utilized. Most preferably, ethoxylatedalcohols are utilized.

In another aspect, the at least one emulsifying component comprises afirst emulsifying component that is blended into the blown, strippedplant-based oil, and a second emulsifying component that is blended intothe water that is utilized to form the oil in water emulsion with theoil. Preferably, in this aspect the first emulsifying component and thesecond emulsifying component are mixed into the oil and waterrespectively before the oil and water are mixed together to form the oilin water emulsion. Examples of compounds that may be used for the firstemulsifying component include the emulsifiers listed above. Examples ofcompounds that may be used for the second emulsifying component include:carboxymethylcellulose; maltodextrin; carbohydrates; polyols; naturalviscosifiers, such as, xanthan gum, guar gum, schleroglucan; andmixtures thereof. Preferably, the second emulsifying component willincrease the viscosity of the water and assist the formation of the oilin water emulsion and enhance the long term stability of the oil inwater emulsion. For example, preferably the second emulsifying componentwill provide an aqueous-based solution having a viscosity of from 15 to35 centipoise at 25° C., for example from 17 to 33 centipoise at 25° C.,preferably from 18 to 25 centipoise at 25° C. for an aqueous solutioncontaining less than 1 percent by weight of the second emulsifyingcomponent, preferably less than 0.5 percent by weight (for example lessthan 0.3 percent by weight) of the second emulsifying component. Forstability, in some aspects, the oil in water emulsion will be stable forat least 4 hours, more preferably at least 14 hours and in someinstances at least 24 hours (for example, at least 48 hours, 72, hours,96, hours, or 120 hours. Where long term stability is particularlyimportant, the oil in water emulsion will be stable for at least oneweek, and in some instances at least two weeks (for example, at leastthree weeks). Preferably the second emulsifying component comprisescarboxymethylcellulose.

Blown, Stripped Plant-Based Oil

The dedust composition comprises a blown, stripped plant-based oilhaving a high flash point that will help minimize the chances of flashfires and/or explosions in high temperature environments and will alsodegrade slower than petroleum based mineral oils having lower flashpoints. Typically, this blown, stripped plant-based oil has a flashpoint of at least 293° C., preferably at least 296° C., and morepreferably at least 304° C., and in some instances at least 320° C. And,the blown, stripped plant-based oil typically has a viscosity at 40° C.of at least 150 cSt, preferably at least 200 cSt (for example, at least250 cSt), more preferably at least 300 cSt, and in some instances atleast 400 cSt (for example, at least 450 cSt) at 40° C. When hightemperature operations are particularly important, the blown, strippedplant-based oil may have a viscosity of at least 500 cSt at 40° C. (forexample, at least 550 cSt at 40° C.).

Plant-based oils that may be utilized to manufacture the blown, strippedplant-based oil are recovered from plants and algae. Plant-based oilsthat can be utilized to manufacture the blown, stripped plant-based oilinclude, for example, soybean oil, canola oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseedoil, sunflower oil, palm oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, corn oil, cornstillage oil (as further described below), and mixtures thereof. Due toits relatively low polyunsaturation levels, relatively high mono- anddi-unsaturation levels and other properties as further described below,the preferred plant-based oils utilized for manufacturing the blown,stripped plant-based oil are corn stillage oil, or in a particularlypreferred aspect, a blend of corn stillage oil with other oils, such assoybean oil. If a blend of corn stillage oil is utilized, the preferredoil to blend with corn stillage oil is soybean oil, due to itsrelatively higher level of polyunsaturates compared to corn stillageoil.

“Corn stillage oil” comprises monoglycerides, diglycerides,triglycerides, free fatty acids, and glycerol recovered from theresidual liquids resulting after the distillation of ethanol from thefermentation of dry corn. The corn stillage oil is recovered by suitablemeans, preferably by centrifugation of the residual material remainingafter the ethanol has been distilled off. Centrifugation typicallyrecovers twenty five percent of the corn stillage oil originally presentin the residual material being centrifuged.

The corn stillage oil recovered by centrifugation typically: has an acidvalue from 16 to 32 mg KOH/gram (for example, from 18 to 30 mgKOH/grain); has an iodine value from 110 to 120 g I₂/100 g sample; andcontains from 0.05 to 0.29 percent by weight monoacylglycerides, from1.65-7.08 percent by weight diacylglycerides, from 70.00 to 86.84percent by weight triacylglycerides, from 8 to 16 percent by weight (forexample, from 9 to 15 percent by weight) free fatty acids, and from 0.00to 0.20 weight percent glycerin. Typically, the corn stillage oil hasfrom 53 to 55 percent by weight groups derived from diunsaturated fattyacids, from 39 to 43 percent by weight groups derived frommonounsaturated fatty acids, from 15 to 18 percent by weight groupsderived from saturated fatty acids, and from 1 to 2 percent by weightgroups derived from triunsaturated fatty acids. The groups derived fromeach of the above fatty acids are present either as groups within themono-, di-, and tri-acylglycerides or as free fatty acids.

The free fatty acid content of the corn stillage oil most commonly isfrom about 11 to 12 percent (an acid value of from about 22 to 24 mgKOH/gram) and is very high compared to conventional vegetable oils,including RBD soybean oil.

The blown, stripped plant-based oil typically is made by blowing airthrough the plant-based oil for a sufficient period of time at anappropriate temperature to produce highly polymerized oil. For example,air is blown (sparged through) the plant-based oil being maintained at atemperature of from 90° C. to 125° C. (preferably from 100° to 120° C.and more preferably from 105° C. to 115° C.) typically for from 20 to 60hours (preferably from 24 to 42 hours).). The acid value of the blownplant-based oil typically is from about 6 mg KOH/gram to about 25 mgKOH/gram. The resulting polymerized oil is then relatively heavilystripped. During the stripping, the blown oil typically is heated to atemperature from 230° C. to 270° C. (preferably from 235° to 245° C.)and vacuum stripped at a pressure of 100 ton or less, preferably 75 torror less, and more preferably 50 ton or less for typically from 10 to 40hours (preferably from 20 to 30 hours).

Typically, the oil is stripped until the acid value of the oil is lessthan 5 mg KOH/gram, preferably about 3.5 mg KOH/gram or less, and insome instances about 3.0 mg KOH/gram or less, and further about 2.8 mgKOH/gram or less. In some instances where a particularly low acid valueis beneficial, the oil is stripped until the acid value is 1.0 mgKOH/gram or less, preferably 0.5 mg KOH/gram or less. The strippingreduces the content of free fatty acids and other volatiles. During thestripping process, the blown plant-based oil is also bodied. Typically,the final blown, stripped planted-based oil has a higher viscosity thanthe initial viscosity of the blown plant-based oil before stripping. Thestripping also removes lower molecular weight acylglycerides and freefatty acids and unexpectedly can produce a blown stripped plant-basedoil having a very high flash point, as set forth above. The finalhydroxyl number of the blown, stripped plant-based oil is typically from10 mg KOH/gram to 200 mg KOH/gram, preferably, the hydroxyl number ofthe blown, stripped oil blend typically is less than 50 mg KOH/gram,preferably less than 40 mg KOH/gram, and in some instances less than 30mg KOH/gram, for example less than 25 mg KOH/gram.

The inventors have surprisingly found that a polyol (preferablyglycerol) can be utilized during the stripping to enhance the reductionof the acid value of the blown, stripped plant-based oil to a desirablylow level. In one preferred aspect, the blown plant-based oil isstripped under vacuum until the acid value reached from 5 mg KOH/gram toabout 9 mg KOH/gram, preferably from about 7 mg KOH/gram to about 9 mgKOH/gram. Then sufficient polyol (preferably glycerin) is added to theoil to obtain a ratio of moles of hydroxyl groups added to fatty acidgroups of typically from 1:5 to less than 1:1, preferably from 1:4 to9:10, more preferably from 2:5 to 4:5, and further more preferably from1:2 to 4:5. Where particularly low acid value is beneficial, preferablysufficient polyol is added to provide a ratio of moles hydroxyl groupsadded to fatty acid of from 4:5 to 1:1. The vacuum is removed eitherprior to or soon after the polyol addition, preferably prior to thepolyol addition. A slight nitrogen sparge is maintained through the oilto assist in the removal of any water or other volatile compounds fromthe oil. Preferably, the stripping is continued until the acid value ofthe oil is below 5.0 mg KOH/gram, and more preferably about 3.5 mgKOH/gram or less. In this aspect the final hydroxyl number of the blown,stripped plant-based oil is typically less than 50 mg KOH/gram,preferably less than 40 mg KOH/gram, and more preferably less than 30 mgKOH/gram, sometimes less than 25 mg KOH/gram. When the plant-based oilcomprises corn stillage oil, the hydroxyl number is typically from about23 to 29 mg KOH/gram. The viscosity of the blown, stripped plant-basedoil is at least about 150 cSt at 40° C., preferably at least 200 eSt at40° C. For high temperature applications, the viscosity is typically atleast 300 cSt at 40° C., preferably at least 400 cSt at 50° C., and insome instances at least about 500 cSt at 40° C. (for example, at least550 cSt at 40° C.). Examples of polyols that may be utilized include,but are not limited to, trimethylol propane (“TMP”), polyethylene glycol(“PEG”), pentaerythritol, glycerin, and polyglycerol.

Examples of other polyols that may be utilized include, but are notlimited to, trimethylol propane (“IMP”), polyethylene glycol (“PEG”),pentaerythritol, and polyglycerol.

In certain preferred aspects of the invention, the polyol (e.g.glycerol) contains less than 500 ppm chloride ions. In certain aspects,the polyol contains less than 300 ppm, less than 200 ppm, less than 100ppm, less than 70 ppm, or less than 50 ppm chloride ions. Reducedchloride ion concentrations may minimize corrosion concerns in productsthat are manufactured utilizing a blown, stripped plant-based oil of thepresent invention. In one particularly preferred aspect, the polyolcomprises technical grade or USP glycerol, typically having less than 30ppm chloride ions and preferably less than 20 ppm chloride ions (forexample less than 10 ppm chloride ions).

In one aspect of the above embodiments, a plant-based oil having lessthan 2 percent by weight (preferably less than 1 percent by weight)triene unsaturation (18:3 fatty acid content) may be added to the blown,stripped plant-based oil to reduce its viscosity, without unfavorablyaffecting the odor profile or the flash point of the resulting blown,stripped plant-based oil. Examples of plant-based oils having less than2 percent by weight 18:3 unsaturation include sunflower oil (includingNuSun sunflower oil), corn oil, cottonseed oil, palm olein oil,safflower oil, and mixtures thereof.

The weight loss of the blown, stripped plant-based oil when measuredusing thermal gravimetric analysis at a temperature of from about 293°C. to 304° C. for 25-35 minutes (“TGA”) typically is less than 30 weightpercent, sometimes less than 25 weight percent, preferably less than 20weight percent and in some instances less than 15 weight percent. Anexample of the TGA procedures that can be used is the Noack Engine OilVolatility (ASTM 5800-80) that has been modified for the appropriatetemperature and duration as described below. The temperature and timeutilized for measuring the weight loss of the blown, strippedplant-based oil should be adapted based on the predicted temperatureprofile that the oil will be exposed to during the manufacture of thefibrous insulation product. For example, if the oil will be exposed totemperatures of about 293° C. to 296° C. for a period of 20 minutes to45 minutes, then the TGA typically would be carried out at or slightlyabove the highest predicted operating temperature of 296° C. (forexample 298° C.) and for a sufficient time to predict the behavior ofthe oil during the manufacture of the fibrous insulation product (forexample for a period of at least 45 minutes). The weight loss during theTGA is proportional to the amount of volatiles that may be liberatedduring the manufacture of the fibrous insulation product. The inventorshave surprisingly found that the blown, stripped plant-based oilsutilized in the invention have much lower weight loss than typicalpetroleum-based oils under high temperature operating conditions.

Fibrous Insulation Products

In one exemplary embodiment, the binder composition is used to form afibrous insulation product. Fibrous insulation products are generallyformed of matted inorganic fibers bonded together by a cured thermosetpolymeric material. Examples of suitable inorganic fibers include glassfibers, wool glass fibers, stone wool fibers, and ceramic fibers.Optionally, other reinforcing fibers such as natural fibers and/orsynthetic fibers such as polyester, polyethylene, polyethyleneterephthalate, polypropylene, polyamide, aramid, and/or polyaramidfibers may be present in the insulation product in addition to the glassfibers. The term “natural fiber” as used in conjunction with the presentinvention refers to plant fibers extracted from any part of a plant,including, but not limited to, the stem, seeds, leaves, roots, orphloem. Examples of natural fibers suitable for use as the reinforcingfiber material include basalt, cotton, jute, bamboo, ramie, bagasse,hemp, coir, linen, kenaf, sisal, flax, henequen, and combinationsthereof. Insulation products may be formed entirely of one type offiber, or they may be formed of a combination of types of fibers. Forexample, the insulation product may be formed of combinations of varioustypes of glass fibers or various combinations of different inorganicfibers and/or natural fibers depending on the desired application forthe insulation. The embodiments described herein are with reference toinsulation products formed entirely of glass fibers.

The manufacture of glass fiber insulation may be carried out in acontinuous process by fiberizing molten glass, immediately forming afibrous glass batt on a moving conveyor, and curing the binder on thefibrous glass insulation batt to form an insulation blanket as depictedin FIGS. 1 and 2. Glass may be melted in a tank (not shown) and suppliedto a fiber forming device such as a fiberizing spinner 15. The spinners15 are rotated at high speeds. Centrifugal force causes the molten glassto pass through holes in the circumferential sidewalls of the fiberizingspinners 15 to form glass fibers. Glass fibers 30 of random lengths maybe attenuated from the fiberizing spinners 15 and blown generallydownwardly, that is, generally perpendicular to the plane of thespinners 15, by blowers 20 positioned within a forming chamber 25. It isto be appreciated that the glass fibers 30 may be the same type of glassor they may be formed of different types of glass. It is also within thepurview of the present invention that at least one of the fibers 30formed from the fiberizing spinners 15 is a dual glass fiber where eachindividual fiber is formed of two different glass compositions.

The blowers 20 turn the fibers 30 downward to form a fibrous batt 40.The glass fibers 30 may have a diameter from about 2 to about 9 microns,or from about 3 to about 6 microns. The small diameter of the glassfibers 30 helps to give the final insulation product a soft feel andflexibility.

The glass fibers, while in transit in the forming chamber 25 and whilestill hot from the drawing operation, are sprayed with the bio-basedbinder system. Preferably, the dedust composition is in the form of anemulsion and is mixed with the aqueous curable binder composition beforebeing sprayed onto the glass fibers through an annular spray ring 35 soas to result in a distribution of the binder composition throughout theformed insulation pack 40 of fibrous glass. Alternatively, the dedustcomposition may be applied to the fibers separately from the aqueouscurable binder composition through another spray ring. Water may also beapplied to the glass fibers 30 in the forming chamber 25, such as byspraying, prior to the application of the aqueous curable bindercomposition to at least partially cool the glass fibers 30. The bindercomposition may be present in an amount from less than or equal to 30%by weight of the total product. The dedust composition typically ispresent in an amount from 0.1 to 5.0 percent by weight of the totalproduct.

The glass fibers 30 having the bio-based binder system (including theuncured binder composition) adhered thereto may be gathered and formedinto an uncured insulation pack 40 on an endless forming conveyor 45within the forming chamber 25 with the aid of a vacuum (not shown) drawnthrough the fibrous pack 40 from below the forming conveyor 45. Theresidual heat from the glass fibers 30 and the flow of air through thefibrous pack 40 during the forming operation are generally sufficient tovolatilize a majority of the water from the binder before the glassfibers 30 exit the forming chamber 25, thereby leaving the remainingcomponents of the binder on the fibers 30 as a viscous or semi-viscoushigh-solids liquid.

The coated fibrous pack 40, which is in a compressed state due to theflow of air through the pack 40 in the forming chamber 25, is thentransferred out of the forming chamber 25 under exit roller 50 to atransfer zone 55 where the pack 40 vertically expands due to theresiliency of the glass fibers. The expanded insulation pack 40 is thenheated, such as by conveying the pack 40 through a curing oven 60 whereheated air is blown through the insulation pack 40 to evaporate anyremaining water in the binder, cure the binder, and rigidly bond thefibers together. Heated air is forced though a fan 75 through the loweroven conveyor 70, the insulation pack 40, the upper oven conveyor 65,and out of the curing oven 60 through an exhaust apparatus 80. The curedbinder imparts strength and resiliency to the insulation blanket 10. Itis to be appreciated that the drying and curing of the binder may becarried out in either one or two different steps. The two stage(two-step) process is commonly known as B-staging.

Also, in the curing oven 60, the insulation pack 40 may be compressed byupper and lower foraminous oven conveyors 65, 70 to form a fibrousinsulation blanket 10. It is to be appreciated that the insulationblanket 10 has an upper surface and a lower surface. In particular, theinsulation blanket 10 has two major surfaces, typically a top and bottomsurface, and two minor or side surfaces with fiber blanket 10 orientedso that the major surfaces have a substantially horizontal orientation.The upper and lower oven conveyors 65, 70 may be used to compress theinsulation pack 40 to give the insulation blanket 10 a predeterminedthickness. It is to be appreciated that although FIG. 1 depicts theconveyors 65, 70 as being in a substantially parallel orientation, theymay alternatively be positioned at an angle relative to each other (notillustrated).

The curing oven 60 may be operated at a temperature from about 100° C.to about 325° C., or from about 250° C. to about 300° C. The insulationpack 40 may remain within the oven for a period of time sufficient tocrosslink (cure) the binder and form the insulation blanket 10.

A facing material 93 may then be placed on the insulation blanket 10 toform a facing layer 95. Non-limiting examples of suitable facingmaterials 93 include Kraft paper, a foil-scrim-Kraft paper laminate,recycled paper, and calendared paper. The facing material 93 may beadhered to the surface of the insulation blanket 10 by a bonding agent(not shown) to form a faced insulation product 97. Suitable bondingagents include adhesives, polymeric resins, asphalt, and bituminousmaterials that can be coated or otherwise applied to the facing material93. The faced fibrous insulation 97 may subsequently be rolled forstorage and/or shipment or cut into predetermined lengths by a cuttingdevice (not illustrated). Such faced insulation products may be used,for example, as panels in basement finishing systems, as ductwrap,ductboard, as faced residential insulation, and as pipe insulation. Itis to be appreciated that, in some exemplary embodiments, the insulationblanket 10 that emerges from the oven 60 is rolled onto a take-up rollor cut into sections having a desired length and is not faced with afacing material 93. Optionally, the insulation blanket 10 may be slitinto layers and by a slitting device and then cut to a desired length(not illustrated).

A significant portion of the insulation placed in the insulationcavities of buildings is in the form of insulation blankets rolled frominsulation products such as is described above. Faced insulationproducts are installed with the facing placed flat on the edge of theinsulation cavity, typically on the interior side of the insulationcavity. Insulation products where the facing is a vapor retarder arecommonly used to insulate wall, floor, or ceiling cavities that separatea warm interior space from a cold exterior space. The vapor retarder isplaced on one side of the insulation product to retard or prohibit themovement of water vapor through the insulation product.

The presence of water, dust, and/or other microbial nutrients in theinsulation product 10 may support the growth and proliferation ofmicrobial organisms. Bacterial and/or mold growth in the insulationproduct may cause odor, discoloration, and deterioration of theinsulation product 10, such as, for example, deterioration of the vaporbarrier properties of the Kraft paper facing. To inhibit the growth ofunwanted microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and/or mold in theinsulation product 10, the insulation pack 40 may be treated with one ormore anti-microbial agents, fungicides, and/or biocides. Theanti-microbial agents, fungicides, and/or biocides may be added duringmanufacture or in a post manufacture process of the insulation product10. It is to be appreciated that the insulation product made using theinventive bio-based binder system can be a fiberglass batt as depicted,or as loosefill insulation, ductboard, ductliner, or pipe wrap (notdepicted in the Figures).

There are numerous advantages provided by the inventive bio-based bindersystem. For example, unlike conventional urea-formaldehyde binders,fibrous insulation products made using the inventive bio-based bindersystem may have a light color after curing. In addition, thecarbohydrate is natural in origin and derived from renewable resources.By lowering or eliminating formaldehyde emission, the overall volatileorganic compounds (VOCs) emitted in the workplace are reduced.Additionally, because carbohydrates are relatively inexpensive, theinsulation product can be manufactured at a lower cost. Further, fibrousinsulation product made using the inventive bio-based binder system haslow to no odor, making it more desirable to work with. In particular,fibrous insulation product made using the inventive bio-based bindersystem has an improved odor profile than comparable bio-based bindersystems containing higher levels of sulfur. Finally, the use of a blown,stripped plant-based oil as a dedusting agent reduced the risk of fireand explosions during the manufacture of the fibrous insulation productcompared to the risk of fire and explosions during the manufacture offibrous insulation products using dedusting agents made frompetroleum-based products.

Having generally described this invention, a further understanding canbe obtained by reference to certain specific examples illustrated belowwhich are provided for purposes of illustration only and are notintended to be all inclusive or limiting unless otherwise specified.

EXAMPLES

The invention of this application has been described above bothgenerically and with regard to specific embodiments. Although theinvention has been set forth in what is believed to be the preferredembodiments, a wide variety of alternatives known to those of skill inthe art can be selected within the generic disclosure. The invention isnot otherwise limited, except for the recitation of the claims set forthbelow.

Example 1 Blowing Corn Stillage Oil

Into a 6000 gallon steel tank equipped with an air sparge distributor,positive displacement blower, regenerative thermal oxidizer(RTO) system,controlled heat source(whether it be external steam or hot oil jacket),and cooling coils, 45,000 pounds of corn stillage oil, similar to thecorn stillage oil described in PCT Publication WO 2010/135637, publishedNov. 25, 2010 (entitled “Blown Corn Stillage Oil”) is charged. Air issparged through the oil as it is heated. The air is sparged through theoil at a rate that maximizes the rate while at the same time causes arelatively even distribution of air bubbles within the oil. The rate ofsparging is set so the reactor remains under a slight vacuum whichindicates the RTO system can remove VOCs adequately and safely as theyare produced from the reaction. The speed with which viscosity increasesis directly proportional to the rate at which air is being blown intothe corn stillage oil, and indirectly proportional to the size of theair bubbles. The smaller the air bubbles, the more surface area thefaster the reaction. The oil within the reactor is tested periodicallyto determine the viscosity at 40° C. of the blown oil. When the desiredviscosity is obtained, the air sparging is stopped and the reactor isallowed to cool. Air is sparged through the sample for the timeindicated in Table 4. The properties of the resulting blown oil (SampleNo. 1-4) is set forth in Table 4.

Example 1a Blowing Corn Stillage Oil and Soybean Oil Blends

Into a 6000 gallon steel tank equipped with an air sparge distributor,positive displacement blower, regenerative thermal oxidizer(RTO) system,controlled heat source(whether it be external steam or hot oil jacket),and cooling coils, 45,000 pounds of corn stillage oil and soybean oilblend, as indicated in Table 4 is charged. The corn stillage oil issimilar to the corn stillage oil described in PCT Publication WO2010/135637, published Nov. 25, 2010. The soybean oil is refined,bleached, and deodorized (RBD) soybean oil having an acid value of lessthan 0.5 mg KOH/gram. Air is sparged through the oil blend as it isheated to the temperature indicated in Table 4. The air is spargedthrough the oil blend at a rate that maximizes the rate while at thesame time causes a relatively even distribution of air bubbles withinthe oil. The rate of sparging is set so the reactor remains under aslight vacuum which indicates the RTO system can remove VOCs adequatelyand safely as they are produced from the reaction. The rate with whichviscosity increases is directly proportional to the rate at which air isbeing blown into the corn stillage oil, and indirectly proportional tothe size of the air bubbles. The smaller the air bubbles, the moresurface area the faster the reaction. The oil within the reactor istested periodically to determine the viscosity at 40° C. of the blownoil. When the desired viscosity is obtained, the air sparging is stoppedand the reactor is allowed to cool. Air is sparged through each of thesamples for the times indicated in Table 4.

The properties of the resulting blown oil blends (Sample Nos. 1-1through 1-3) are set forth below in Table 4.

TABLE 4 Properties of Blown Corn Stillage Oil and Soybean Oil BlendSample No. 1-1 1-2 1-3 1-4 Corn Stillage Oil:soybean oil ratio 2:3 2:14:1 1:0 Sparging Temperature (° C.) 115 115 115 115 Sparging Time(hours) 51 44 42 42 Viscosity@40° C. (cSt) 200 237 192 210 Acid Value(mg KOH/gram) 8 14 17 18 Free Fatty Acid (wt %) 4 7 8.5 9 Gardner Color7 7 7 7 Hydroxyl number (mg KOH/gram) 28 52 30 55

As can be seen from Table 4, varying the weight ratio of corn stillageoil to soybean oil results in blown oil blends having varyingproperties, such as viscosity, for an approximately equal blowing time.Also, it can be seen from Table 4 that oil blends having higher cornstillage oil to soybean oil ratios (i.e. higher relative percentage ofcorn stillage oil) will take a shorter blowing time period to reach agiven viscosity (or alternatively will reach a higher viscosity duringthe same time period) than blends having lower relative percentages ofcorn stillage oil.

Example 2 Stripping Blown Corn Stillage Oil

Into a 6000 gallon stainless steel reactor equipped with a mechanicalagitator, a nitrogen sparge distributor, vacuum pump, regenerativethermal oxidizer(RTO) system, controlled heat source(hot oil jacket),and cooling coils, 45,000 pounds of blown corn stillage oil from Example1, as indicated in Table 5, is charged. Nitrogen is sparged at about5-10 CFM through the oil as it is heated to about 235° C. to 245° C.Once the oil reaches the desired temperature, shut off nitrogen spargeand apply full vacuum to the reactor (preferred pressure of 20 torr orless). The oil within the reactor is tested periodically to determinethe viscosity at 40° C., flash point, and the acid value of the oil.When the oil reaches acid value of from 7-9 mg KOH/gram, break thevacuum to atmospheric pressure. Add desired amount of USP grade glycerol(which has lower than 0.3 weight percent impurities and less than orequal to 10 PPM Chloride ion (Cl⁻)) to the oil in the reactor andcontinue nitrogen sparging at while maintaining the temperature 235°C.-245° C. at atmospheric pressure until acid value is less than 5.0 andpreferably less than 3.5 mg KOH/gram. When the desired viscosity, flashpoint, and acid value are obtained, cool the reactor. The oil samplesare reacted for the times indicated in Table 5. The properties of theresulting stripped oils are set forth in Table 5.

TABLE 5 Properties of Stripped Blown Corn Stillage Oil Sample No: 2-12-2 2-3 Blown corn stillage oil used Sam- Sam- Sam- ple 1-4 ple 1-4 ple1-4 Glycerol Addition(% wt) 0 0.15 1.2 Glycerol Hydroxyl number (mgKOH/gram) N/A 1800 1800 Reaction time (hours) 36 27 20 Final Acid Value(mg KOH/gram) 3.6 2.7 2.2 Hydroxyl number (mg KOH/gram) 29 19 37 MolarRatio of OH− added/fatty acid group N/A 0.77:1 1.8:1 present beforeaddition Flash Point by Cleveland Open Cup 315 326 316 Method ° C.Viscosity @ 40° C. (cSt) 580 465 531 GPC Data (relative wt %) Mn 19381876 Total FA + FAME (wt % Fatty Acid/Fatty 0.73 0.87 1.9 Acid MethylEster) Diglyceride 8.41 10.68 15.22 Monomer 24.03 23.14 21.13 Dimer17.34 15.63 17.06 Trimer 8.37 7.68 8.48 Tetramer+ 41.11 42 35.83

As can be seen from Table 5, varying the amount of polyol added to thecorn stillage oil during stripping results in varying batch times. Themore glycerol (a polyol) used, the shorter the batch time. As can beseen from Samples 2-2 and 2-3, the addition of polyol in small amountsand low molar ratios of OH— groups added to fatty acid groups present inthe oil does provide blown, stripped corn stillage oils having a higherflash point due to the lower acid value versus Sample 2-1 where nopolyol(glycerol) is added. In general, a lower acid value equates to ahigher flash point. However, as becomes apparent when comparing the GPCanalysis of Sample 2-3 to Samples 2.1 and 2.2, using more polyol inducesmore random interesterification which creates more small, undesirablemolecules like diglycerides. This action also breaks up some of thedesirable high molecular weight molecules like tetramers and larger. Ascan be seen from this Example, the molar ratio of OH-groups added tofatty acid present in the oil before addition (just prior to addition ofglycerol) preferably is from is from 1:5 to less than 1:1, preferablyfrom 1:4 to 9:10, more preferably from 2:5 to 4:5, and further morepreferably from 1:2 to 4:5, when it is desirable to maximize themolecular weight of the resulting blown, stripped oil and to minimizethe hydroxyl number of the resulting blown, stripped oil.

Example 3 Stripping the Blown, Stripped Oil Blend

Into a 6000 gallon stainless steel reactor (equipped with a mechanicalagitator, a nitrogen sparge distributor, vacuum pump, regenerativethermal oxidizer(RTO) system, controlled heat source(hot oil jacket),cooling coils, and an overhead surface condenser), 45,000 pounds ofblown corn stillage and soybean oil from example 2, as indicated by theratios in Table 6, is charged. Nitrogen is sparged at about 5-10 CFMthrough the oil as it is heated to a temperature of from 235° C. to 245°C. Once the oil reaches the desired temperature, shut off nitrogensparge and apply full vacuum to the reactor to the lower the pressure to20 torr or less as measured on the vapor duct between the reactor andsurface condenser. The oil within the reactor is tested periodically todetermine the viscosity at 40° C., flash point, and the acid value ofthe oil. When the oil reaches acid value 7-9 mg KOH/gram, break thevacuum to atmospheric pressure. Add desired amount of glycerol to theoil in the reactor and continue to sparge with nitrogen to strip thereactor while maintaining the oil at 235° C. to 245° C. and atmosphericpressure until acid value is less than 5.0 and preferably less than 3.5mg KOH/gram. When the desired viscosity, flash point, and acid value areobtained, cool the reactor. The oil samples are reacted for the timesindicated in Table 6. The properties of the resulting stripped oils areset forth in Table 6.

TABLE 6 Properties of Blown, Stripped Corn Stillage and Soybean OilBlend Sample No. 3-1 3-2 3-3 3-4 3-5 3-6 Sample No. of 1-1 * 1-2 1-3 1-3** blown, oil blend utilized Polyol Added 0 1.2% 0 0 0.15% 0 (% wt)Molar ratio of N/A 1.8:1 N/A N/A 0.77:1 N/A OH-groups added to fattyacids present Glycerol N/A 1800 N/A N/A 1800 N/A Hydroxyl number (mgKOH/gram) Reaction time 27 20 29 40 27 27 (hours) Acid Value 3.5 2.2 3.03.9 2.7 3.5 (mg KOH/gram) Hydroxyl number 34 37 30 19 38 (mg KOH/gram)Flash Point 313 316 305 306 326 320 COC ° C. Viscosity @ 521 531 550 512465 528 40° C. (cSt) * The blown oil blend utilized to make Sample No.3-2 is made by a procedure similar to the procedure of Example 1a. Thecorn stillage oil to soybean ratio of the blend is 2:3. The blown oilblend had a viscosity of about 200 cSt @ 40° C., an acid value of 8 mgKOH/gram, a free fatty acid content of 4 wt %, a Gardner color of 7, anda hydroxyl number of about 30 mg KOH/gram. ** The blown oil blendutilized to make Sample No. 3-6 is made by a procedure similar to theprocedure used to make Sample 1-2. However, the blown oil blend had aviscosity of about 200 cSt @ 40° C., an acid value of 14 mg KOH/gram, aGardner color of 7, and a hydroxyl number of about 38 mg KOH/gram.

Example 4 Making the Dedust Composition

The blown, stripped oil blend of Sample 3-6 is blended with 10 percentby weight refined, bleached, and deodorized sunflower oil having aniodine value of 88 to 115 mg KOH/gram and 18:3 fatty acid profile ofless than 1% by weight to produce a blown, stripped, plant-based oilSample 3-7. Sample 3-7 has 6 ppm sulfur and a viscosity of 370 cSt@ 40°C. An amount of a first Emulsifying Agent indicated in Table 7 is mixedwith the blown, stripped plant-based oil Sample 3-7 as indicated inTable 7. An amount of a second emulsifying agent is mixed with water asindicated in Table 7. Water containing the second emulsifying agent (asindicated in Table 7) is mixed with the oil (as indicated in Table 7) toproduce the dedust compositions of Table 7.

TABLE 7 Dedust Composition Dedust Comparative Sample Composition Sample4-1 4-2 Blown, Stripped Sample 3-7 Sample 3-7 Plant-Based Oil SampleFirst Emulsifying Chemax EMX 1154: a Lignosulfonate agent non-ionicsurfactant available from PCC Chemex, Inc. Sulfur (ppm) in the Less than1 ppm 5,000 ppm   First Emulsifying Agent Weight percent First 1.0 wt %5 weight percent based Emulsifying agent on the weight of dedust add toSample 3-6 oil (*but it is not premixed with the oil prior to emulsionformation) Second Emulsifying Cekol 20,000: a N/A agentcarboxymethylcellulose material available from CP Kelco, Inc. Sulfur(ppm) in the Less than 1 ppm N/A Second Emulsifying agent Weight percent0.2 wt % N/A Second Emulsifying Agent in aqueous solution Weight ratiooil to 50:50 50:50 Aqueous phase in Emulsion Sulfur (ppm) in 3 ppm 128ppm dedust composition Samples (i.e. oil-in- water emulsion) Sulfur(ppm) in the 6 ppm 256 ppm dedust composition Samples, excluding water

Example 5 Odor Profile of Fiberglass Insulation

Two sets of R-19 to R-20 fiberglass insulation batts are manufactured ina conventional manner known to one of ordinary skill in the art. All thefiberglass batts are manufactured with a target LOT of 6.0+0.5.

The first set of batts are manufactured utilizing a bio-based bindersystem of the current invention where the aqueous binder compositioncomprise a 70:30 weight ratio of a maltodextrin to citric acid. Themaltodextrin has a Dextrose Equivalent number of 11.0 (DE 11.0) and isavailable from Cargill, Incorporated. For this first set of batts, thededust composition utilized is the dedust composition of Sample 4-1. Theamount of dedust composition utilized in the manufacture of this firstset of fiberglass batts varies from 0.375 to 0.75 percent by weightbased on the weight of the cured fiberglass insulation. Additionally,about thirteen percent (13%) by weight of agamma-aminopropyl-trihydroxy-silane coupling agent and five percent (5%)by weight of Sodium Hypophosphite accelerant based on the weight of thebinder composition, silane, and accelerant are utilized during themanufacture of the fiberglass batts. The extent of curing (high, medium,and low cure) is varied during the manufacture of the fiberglass battsof this first set. The first set of batts all had less than 0.5 ppmsulfur content based on the weight of the batts, typically less than 0.1ppm sulfur content based on the weight of the batts, and even some lessthan 0.05 ppm sulfur content based on the weight of the batts.

A second set of batts are manufactured utilizing a bio-based bindersystem comparable to the binder described for the first set of batts,except that a dedust composition as set forth for Comparative Sample 4-2is utilized. For this second set of baits, the amount of dedustcomposition utilized in the manufacture of is varied from 0.375 to 0.75percent by weight based on the weight of the cured fiberglassinsulation. Similar level of silane and accelerant are utilized for thissecond set of batts as described for the first set of batts. The extentof curing (high, medium, and low cure) is varied during the manufactureof the fiberglass batts of this second set.

Odor Analysis

Eight by Eight inch squares are cut from the fiberglass insulation battsof the first and second sets, placed in zip bags, and sealed. Odorpanelists were provided with a fresh sample bag and the panelistsindividually ranked each of the samples from strongest aroma (highernumber) to weakest aroma (lower number). The results from the odorpanels are tabulated. The results of the odor panels show that theinsulation batts from the first set of fiberglass insulation (i.e. thebatts made utilizing the bio-based binder system of the currentinvention) exhibit equivalent or better odor profiles (i.e. lowerobjectionable odor) than the comparable batts from the second set offiberglass insulation batts. The batts from the first set performedespecially well compared to the second set when the batts aremanufactured with relatively higher extent of curing. This example showsthat fibrous insulation products, such as fiberglass insulation battsmade utilizing the current bio-based binder system, exhibit enhancedproperties over comparable binder systems having higher sulfur levels.

1. A bio-based binder system useful for the formation of rotary fiberinsulation, the system comprising: A) an aqueous curable bindercomposition comprising: (i) at least one carbohydrate; (ii) at least onecrosslinking agent; and B) a dedust composition comprising: (i) a blown,stripped plant-based oil having a viscosity of at least 200 cSt at 40°C., a flash point of at least 293° C., and having an acid value lessthan 5.0 mg KOH/gram, wherein the bio-based binder system comprises 10part per million sulfur or less based on the weight of components A) andB), excluding water.
 2. The binder system of claim 1, wherein the bindersystem comprises at least one emulsifying component.
 3. The bindersystem of claim 2, wherein the at least one emulsifier componentcomprises a first emulsifying component contained in dedust compositionB), and wherein the dedust composition has less than 100 part permillion sulfur, based on the weight of component B), excluding water. 4.The binder system of claim 3, wherein the dedust composition B) furthercomprises an aqueous fraction and an organic fraction.
 5. The bindersystem of claim 4, wherein dedust composition B) comprises an oil inwater emulsion and wherein the first emulsifier component is mixed intothe blown, stripped plant-based oil of (i) before the emulsion isformed.
 6. The binder composition of claim 5, wherein a secondemulsifying component is mixed into an aqueous solution before theoil-water emulsion is formed by mixing the aqueous solution and theblown, stripped plant-based oil of (i).
 7. The binder composition ofclaim 6, wherein the second emulsifying component is selected from thegroup consisting of carbohydrates, maltodextrin, carboxymethylcellulose, polyols, and mixtures thereof.
 8. The binder composition ofclaim 2, wherein the at least one emulsifying component is selected fromthe group consisting of non-ionic emulsifiers, ionic emulsifiers, andmixtures thereof.
 9. The binder system of claims 1, wherein the bindersystem comprises 5 part per million sulfur or less based on the weightof components A) and B), excluding water.
 10. The curable binder systemof claim 1, wherein the blown, stripped plant-based oil has a viscosityof at least 250 cSt at 40° C.
 11. The binder system of claims 1, whereinthe blown, stripped plant-based oil has a acid value less than 5.0 mgK014/gram.
 12. The binder system of claims 1-14, wherein the blown,stripped plant-based oil comprises a blown, stripped, bodied plant-basedoil.
 13. The binder system of claim 1, wherein the blown, strippedplant-based oil is made from a blend of corn stillage oil and soybeanoil in a weight ratio of corn stillage oil to soybean oil of from 5:95to 95:5.
 14. The binder system of claim 13, wherein the blown, strippedplant based oil further comprises from about 0.5 percent by weight toabout 11 percent by weight of a refined, bleached, and deodorized plantbased oil having greater than 0.0 percent by weight and less than 2percent by weight 18:3 fatty acid content.
 15. The binder system ofclaim 1, wherein the blown, stripped plant-based oil has an hydroxylnumber from about 1 mg KOH/gram to about 50 mg KOH/gram.
 16. The bindersystem of claims 1, wherein the blown, stripped plant based oil has lessthan 50 ppm sulfur.
 17. The aqueous curable binder composition of claim1, wherein the at least one carbohydrate is selected from the groupconsisting of glucose syrup, fructose syrup, dextrose, corn syrup,pectin, dextrin, maltodextrin, starch, modified starch, starchderivatives, a maltodextrin and combinations thereof.
 18. The aqueouscurable binder composition of claim 17, wherein the at least onecarbohydrate is a water-soluble polysaccharide selected from the groupconsisting of pectin, dextrin, maltodextrin, starch, modified starch,starch derivatives, and combinations thereof.
 19. The aqueous curablebinder composition of claim 1, wherein said crosslinking agent isselected from the group consisting of polycarboxylic acids, salts ofpolycarboxylic acid, anhydrides, monomeric carboxylic acid withanhydride, polycarboxylic acid with anhydride, citric acid, salts ofcitric acid, adipic acid, salts of adipic acid, polyacrylic acid, saltsof polyacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid based resins and combinationsthereof.
 20. The binder system of claim 1, wherein the binder systemfurther comprises at least one of: at least one coupling agent; amoisture resistant agent, a catalyst, an inorganic acid, an inorganicbase, an organic base and combinations thereof.
 21. The binder system ofclaims 1, wherein the binder composition A) comprises: from about 30.0%to about 95.0% by weight of the total solids of the at least onecarbohydrate (i); and from about 1.0% to about 40.0% by weight of thetotal solids of the at least one crosslinking agent (ii).
 22. The bindersystem of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of binder composition A) todedust composition B) is from about 100:1 to 100:34.
 23. A cured bindersystem resulting from heating the binder system of claim 1 at atemperature and for a sufficient period of time sufficient to react thecarbohydrate (i) with the crosslinking agent (ii) of the bindercomposition A)
 24. The cured binder system of claim 23, wherein thecured binder system exhibits a relatively low odor profile.
 25. Thecured binder system of claim 24, wherein the cured binder systemexhibits a lower odor profile than a comparable cured binder systemresulting from curing a binder system having greater than 30 ppm sulfurbased on the weight of the cured binder system. 26-40. (canceled)